Identification needed please ...

[rsharp]

Hi,

I saw a butterfly or moth (sorry, I'm no expert) on Sunday 28th June 2009 in my back garden in Dundee, Scotland that I can't identify. It was maybe 4-5cm across, bright rich-yellow body with spots, and pale yellow/cream coloured wings with spots on top of the leading halves of the wings. What struck me is how leopard-like the spots and colouring was. Can't seem to find anything like it on the web. A few years ago I actually saw a Hummingbird Moth in my back garden and have been looking out for another since - what an awesome creature. Sadly I've never seen another of those but I've never seen this type of moth/butterfly before either. 'Twas really purty Any advice would would be much appreciated.

Cheers

[Matsukaze]

Magpie or Small Magpie moth?

http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?bf=1884

http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=2760

[maryinoxford]

Hi Matzukaze,

Thanks for posting that link to the Magpie moth - that answered a question that had been puzzling me.

I saw this brightly-coloured flier on the deck of a boat, off the coast of Lewis (North-west Scotland) last week, a sunny late afternoon. Like rsharp, I didn't know if it was moth or butterfly. (I know the antennae difference, but didn't get close enough to see. It didn't sit for long, so I wasn't sure if the wings were folded or just sunning.)

I'm not sure if, as a new member, I'm allowed to post photos, but if it works, this is what I saw:


Maybe rsharp will come back and say if it matches his mystery insect.

Mary

[Pete Eeles]

HI Mary - yes, please post any photos you like!

And I concur - definitely a Magpie moth!

Cheers,

- Pete

[rsharp]

Hi Matsukaze,

Thanks for taking the time to post a reply on this but I don't think this was what I saw yesterday. The light colour on the wings of Mary's Magpie Moth was about the same but my critter had far fewer spots on its wings, they were well dispersed, and only scattered along maybe the front half of the wings. Oh, and I don't think there was any yellow on the wings either - the yellow on the wings of the Magpie Moth is about the same as that on the body of my sighting though. Does any of that ring a bell with anyone ... ?

Cheers

[eccles]

How about small magpie?
http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=2760

[maryinoxford]

Or one of the Tiger moths?:
http://ukmoths.org.uk/keywordsearch.php?keyword1=tiger

I remember how surprised I was the first time I encoutered the Garden Tiger - a glorious insect, more colourful than anything I expected to find in Britain.

[rsharp]

Hi maryinoxford,

Nope - it was more leopard than tiger. That's what struck me ... and that's what I based my searching on of the Web trying to identify it. The contrast between the bright yellow body and the fairly plain wings, plus the leopard-like patternation was memorable to say the least. I just wish I had a camera to hand when I saw it.

Cheers

[Dave McCormick]

By any chance, was it a speckled yellow (Pseudopanthera macularia) ? http://www.ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=1652

[rsharp]

Hi Dave,

Nope, that's not it either I'm afraid - I've tried to do a quick sketch (see attached) of the colouring and patternation on my critter to see if that helps any in its identification. Please don't laugh at my pathetic artistic effort - it's meant to be "representative"

Cheers

[Cotswold Cockney]

Hi Dave,

Nope, that's not it either I'm afraid - I've tried to do a quick sketch (see attached) of the colouring and patternation on my critter to see if that helps any in its identification. Please don't laugh at my pathetic artistic effort - it's meant to be "representative"

Cheers

Hi maryinoxford,

Nope - it was more leopard than tiger. That's what struck me ... ........ plus the leopard-like patternation was memorable to say the least. I just wish I had a camera to hand when I saw it.

Cheers

Here's a shot in the dark.... White Ermine :~

http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=3228

Bit too far North but, with global wossname my money would be on this ~ but, not a lot :~

There is such a thing as Leopard Moth.... was a frequent sight on the Lamp Posts on my early morning paper round ... many moons ago.



http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=1347

There is also a Buff ermine .... :~

http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=2762

[rsharp]

Nope - it wasn't the Buff or White Ermine (not so "hairy"), nor was it the Leopard Moth - it had "proper" butterfly wings. I was hoping it would be called something as obvious as a Leopard Moth or the like but my own searches didn't turn up any hits on anything like that. Have I posted a puzzler or what ... ?

Cheers

[Dave McCormick]

OK, this is a long shot, but could it be a Nine spotted moth? http://www.ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=2684 Its a vagrent but has only very little records of it actually being a UK Moth.

[rsharp]

Hi Dave,

Sorry, the Nine-spotted isn't even close - apart from the spots the body was bright yellow and the wings were pale yellow/cream ... and the spots were dark, smaller, and more random.

Cheers

[Dave McCormick]

Ok, a few more stabs at this, two ideas:

Four-Spotted Footman: http://www.ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=761
Cream Spot Tiger: http://www.ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?id=850

[rsharp]

Hi Dave,

Sorry - still no cigar. Lovely though they are, they're still not what I saw. Though the memory of it is fading, my beastie was more like my sketch I'd posted in an earlier reply ... though on reflection perhaps with slightly fewer spots on the wings but still more than just a handfull.

Cheers